Top stop



Jully 4, 1933. E. w. RUTHERFORD 1 TOP STOP Filed Sept. 10, 1931 2 Sheets-Shet 1 1! I II L H r 1 I INVENTOR oRmfv July 4, 1933., w RUTHERFORD 1,916,390

TOP STOP Filed Sept. 10, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 4, 1933 EUGENE W. RUTHERFORD, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SHOE HARDWARE COMPANY, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT TO]? STOP Application filed September 10, 1931. Serial No. 562,089.

My present invention relates to separable fasteners and more particularly to an improved top stop for such fasteners.

In the type of separable fasteners wherein series .of interlocking elements are longitudinally disposed upon the adjacent edges of flexible tapes or stringers and which series of interlocking elements may be engaged and disengaged for the purpose of closing a gap at will in footwear, bags, garments or other articles, it is practically necessary to employ a top stop arranged on the flexible tape or stringer adjacent to the end of the series of interlocking elements in order to prevent the slider from being moved too far from or along the series of interlocking elements. Various types of top stops have been suggested and employed, one of the top stops in common use consisting ofdevices attached to each of the tapes or stringers adjacent to the end of the series of interlocking elements.

and which stops'enter within the limits of the slider, such top stops depending for their action on the fact that the combined heights of the coacting top stops is greater than the Width of the space between the guide flanges of the slider. The stop, therefore, acts positively to prevent too great a movement of the slider along the stringers, but is open to the very serious objection that the top stops bind within the slider so firmly as to prevent the movement of the slider in the opposite direction. Also a form of top stop and one that has been found to be extremely eflicient is a stop .comprising elements adapted to be attached to the corded end of the tape or stringer adjacent to the top end of the series of interlocking elements such devices-being provided with projections or protuberances which engage with the upper edge of the wings of the slider. With this type of top stop the slider is positively stopped in the desired position and no binding effect can take place so that it is always possible to easily move the slider in the direction opposite to that in which it was brought into locking position. Such st0p, however, is open to the objection that the protuberances thereon contact with the upper edge of the wings of the slider and have a tendency to slide downward and laterally outward, thus acjacent the closed end thereof, and also this type of top stop is objectionable inthat it cannot be hidden by the slider when the slider is in the closed position on the stringers. Recently another form of top stop has been suggested comprising a wedge-shaped member attached to the corded end of the tape or stringer, but such top stop is open to all of the objections of the top stops above discussed and in. addition tends to firmly wedge itself in the slider body.

In my present invention, I have obviated the objections noted with respect to prior structures of this kind and in carrying out my invention have devised top stops which are not only efficient in operation and which positively stop the slider at the end of its closing movement, while permitting the ready removal thereof from such position, but which houses completely within the slider body when the slider body is in the closed with the portion surroundingthe corded edge. The thickness of the plates plus the thickness of the tape is greater than the space between the guide anges on the front and rear wings of the slider and therefore ordinarily. such top stop would engage with the upper outer edge or edges of the slider and would thus be visible at all times. To obviate this diificulty, however, I have formed a socket or cut-out portion in the upper edge of the slider by cutting away the upper portion of the inturned flanges, this cut-a-way portion or socket being of suflicient depth to permit the'stop to house completely within the slider. With this. construction, there is ,no tendency on the part of thetop stop to move the tape or stringer laterally outward and, therefore, there is no tendency on the part of this device tocause the portion of the tape adjacent the top stops to spread away uppermost position. As a modified form of my invention, I have formed on the inner edge of the device a bevelled projection or track which by engaging with the wedge shaped frog of the slider facilitates the movement of such slider into operative relation with the series-of interlocking elements on the tapes or stringers.

The object of my invention, therefore, is an improved top stop for separable fasteners.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of my invention;

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a separable fastener to which my invention has been applied;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a modification of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of Fig. 4 with the slider in its uppermost position.

. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional front elevation on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there is shown a pair of corded tapes or stringers 10' and 11, the stringer 10 being equipped with a series of interlocking elements 12 that may be engaged or disengaged from a like series of interlocking elements 13 attached to the corded edge of the stringer l1. ,Slidably mounted on the stringers 10 and 11 is a slider composed of front and rear wings 14 and 15, respectively,

secured together at their top end by a wedge shaped neck portion 16. The side edges of the front and rear wings 14 and 15, respectively, are equipped with inturned flanges 17 and 18 which form guideways in which the tapes or stringers 10 and 11 may slide and which inturned flanges 17 and 18 engage with the outer ends of the series of interlocking elements 12 and 13. The operation of this sort of device is well known and if the slider is moved downward in Fig. 2, it is Well known that the wedge-shaped neck 16 will force the series of interlocking elements 12 and 13 apart to thereby separate the stringers 10 and 11 v and that if the slider is moved upwardly that the series of interlocking elements pass into the slider between the wedge shaped neck 16 and the flanges 17 and 18 and are interengaged. The slider is equipped with the usual bail 19 to which is pivotally mounted the pull tab '20.

Attached to each of the corded edges of the tapes or stringers 10 and 11 adjacent to the uppermost element of the series of interlocking elements 12 .and 13 is a top stop 21 which top stop is provided with outwardly extending plates 22 on each side of the tape or stringers 10 and 11. The combined thickness of the two plates 22, plus the thickness of either the stringers 10 or 11 is greater than the distance between the inturned guide flanges 17 and 18 on the front and rear wings 14 and 15 respectively, and therefore, I have cut away the upper portion of the guide flanges 17 and 18 as clearly shown in Fig. 2, thus providing thereby a socket 23 into which the outer ends of the plates 22 may house. When in this position the stops 21 are completely housed Within the limits of the slider as is clearly shown in Fig. 3. In order to facilitate the entry of the wedge shaped neck 16 of the slider between the series of interlocking elements 12 and 13, I have formed integral with the body of the top stops 21 on the inner face thereof or on the side remote from the plates 22 a beveled member 25 which when the top stops 21 are in position to prevent further upward movement of the slider is now in position as shown in' Fig. 7 and it will be obvious from an inspection of such figure that the wedge-shaped neck 16 of the slider may be readily moved into operative engagement with the series of interlocking elements 12 and 13 by the passage of the wedge shaped neck 16 into the V- passage formed by the beveled portions 25 of the top stops. It Will be noticed that each beveled member 25 is rigid with each top stop 21, and therefore, that a portion-of the stops when the slider is in engagement therewith is located adjacent the apex of the wedgeshaped neck of the slider.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a separable fastener of the kind described, having a pair of stringers, series of locking members carried by said stringers, a slide having inturned edges and movable along said stringers to effect engagement and disengagement of said locking members, of a socket formed in the inturned edges of the slider and a top stop secured to one of said stringers and arranged to pass completely into the slider and having one of its ends received in the socket.

2. The combination with a separable fastener of the kind described, having a pair of stringers, a series of locking members carried by each of said stringers, a slide movable along said stringers to eflect engagement and disengagement of said locking members and having inturned edges and a wedgeshaped neck, of a stop secured to each of said stringers and arranged to pass into said slide and to engage the inturned edges of said. slide whereby its movement along'the stringers is halted in a predetermined position, said stops having portions extending beyond the free edges of said stringers for engagement by said wedge-shaped neck whereby initiation of an opening movement of said slide is facilitated, and said portions of such stops being located adjacent the apex of said wedge-shaped neck when the slide is in engagement with said stops.

.3. In combination with a separable fastener of the kind described, having a pair of stringers, a series of locking members carried by said stringers, a slide movable along said stringers to effect engagement and disengagement of said locking members, of a socket formed in each edge of the slider, a top stop secured to each of said stringers and and arranged to pass completely into the slider and having their outer ends received in the sockets and a bevelled extension formed on their inner ends.

4. In combination with a separable fastener of the kind described, having a pair of stringers, a series of locking members carried by said stringers, a slide movable along said stringers to eliect engagement and disengagement of said locking members, of a socket formed in each edge of the slider, a

' top stop secured to each of said stringers arranged to pass completely into the slider, with the outer ends received-in the sockets and means on the inner ends of the top stops facilitating the passage of the slider between the stringers to cause disengagement of the series of interlocking elements. a

5. In combination with a separable fastener of the kind described, having a pair of stringers, a series oflocking members carried-by said stringers, a slide movable along said stringers, means carried thereby to effect engagement and disengagement of said locking members, of a socket formed in each edge of the slider, a top stop secured to each of said stringers arranged to pass completely,

into the slider, with the outer ends received in the sockets and a bevelled member on the inner end of each of the top stops engaging the disengaging means on the slider to facilitate the passage of the slider between the stringers to cause disengagement of the series of interlocking elements.

ing the inter-engagement of the interlocking members, and a socket formed in the inturned edges of the slider for receiving one end of the top stop to limit its movement into the slider.

7. In a quick operating slide fastener having a pair of stringers carrying interengageable elements, a top stop at the end of at least one of said stringers, a slider for engaging and disengaging said elements, said slider havin inturned edges, the top portions of said edges being cut away in order to provide projecting ledges against which the top stop is arranged to contact in order to limit the T movement of the slider.

8. In a quick operating slide fastener, in

combination, a pair ofstringers, a plurality of interlocking elements attached thereto, a slider adapted to engage and disengage said elements and having inturned edges adapted to ride over said stringers, the top portions of said edges being cut away to provide enlargements, a top stop on at least one of said stringers arranged to pass into said slider and to abut against the lower edges of an enlargement. i

Signed at New York, county of New York, State of New York, this 6th day of August EUGENE W. RUTHERFORD, 

